Report: Building Contractors Number 1 Local Ad Category

Restaurants is still the most widely searched local business category according to YP’s Q2 Local Insights report. However restaurants doesn’t even show up in the top 10 when it comes to advertising spend.

According to YP data, the following list represents the most searched local categories overall. The list is a blended average of both online and mobile searches. The associated percentage figure reflects search query growth vs. Q1:

Restaurants (3%)

Physicians & Surgeons (57%)

Financial Services (6%)

Real Estate (30%)

Beauty Services (34%)

Auto Parts & Supplies (11%)

Auto Repair (10%)

Legal Services (68%)

Materials, Equipment & Supplies (12%)

Building Contractors (12%)

The data were gathered from “600 million searches and over 10.6 billion impressions in Q1 2013 across the YP Local Ad Network’s 300+ online, mobile and tablet publishers.” The report compares the top five categories in mobile (left) vs. online (right). Restaurants and real estate are present on both lists, though in different order:

Beyond the most searched categories, the fastest-growing local search headings are weddings, air travel and legal. That appears to be generally consistent across both online and mobile platforms.

In terms of overall ad revenue, however, the list is quite different than the most-searched categories lists above. The following are the local business headings spending the most money on advertising (blending traditional and digital):

Building Contractors

Legal Services

Dentists

Physicians & Surgeons

Auto Repair & Service

Materials, Equipment, & Supplies

Auto Parts & Supplies

Heating & Air Conditioning Contractors

Financial Services

Maintenance & Cleaning Services

Overall YP said that 35 percent of the queries across its ad network are now coming from mobile devices.

About The Author

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.